Many students in the California State University system are asking themselves the same question…will classes be in-person for the fall 2020 semester? The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has shut down academic institutions and businesses all around the world. The shutdowns have been to prevent spread of the virus through human interaction.
But how long will the shutdowns continue? And for thousands of college students in the state of California wondering, will Cal State Universities open up before the start of the fall 2020 semester?
No official announcement from the CSU Chancellor’s Office has been made yet, but two campuses that are a part of the CSU system have already declared their plans for the coming fall semester.
California State University, Fullerton
Cal State Fullerton was the first CSU campus to make a prediction about the fall 2020 semester. A recent official statement by the university said:
“Based on what we know, we are planning to go to a virtual course delivery in the fall semester, but we will monitor the notices from the various health agencies so we can pivot to other modalities.”
CSUF did mention it intends to start the fall 2020 semester remotely and gradually ease restrictions throughout the semester time period which could mean the second half of the fall 2020 semester may possibly be in-person.
California State University, Long Beach
Cal State Long Beach followed up CSUF’s announcement and has already declared it will indeed have in-person classes this coming fall 2020 semester. Long Beach will be returning to face-to-face instruction this fall according to Jeff Cook (chief communications officer for CSULB). In an official statement from his Twitter account he stated:
“We are planning to offer on-campus, in-person classes this fall here at @CSULB. However, we are tracking public-health guidance and forecasts related to COVID-19. If there’s any necessary change in our planning, we will be open and proactive about communicating those adjustments.”
Many university students in the state of California are also part of the UC system. The University of California system has 10 campuses and are currently considering different scenarios for the fall 2020 semester but have not made any firm or final decisions.
LAUSD schools have also not made a final decision, but have hinted at the strong possibility of opening up for fall 2020 with strict social distancing guidelines in play.
Despite the shutdowns, many states have already eased restrictions and have began opening public places such as gyms. These states will most likely expect a full return for the fall 2020 semester. California and New York have had some of the strictest COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
For official news from the California State University system, please visit the official CSU Chancellor’s website. For the latest news of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, visit the official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
OPINION
As a California State University student, I would like to see a return to in-person classes this coming fall 2020 semester. We are over four months away before the start of the semester which I believe provides enough time for universities to implement the necessary COVID-19 precautionary measures. Many states across the country (including California) have already declared they are past their “peak” amount of COVID-19 cases. If you are a CSU student that would like to return to in-person classes this coming fall 2020 semester, please sign the petition here.
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